GivingTuesday is coming up on December 3! This global day of giving is a great way to show your support for REEF’s marine conservation and education programs. You don't want to miss the chance to join in this year, because your GivingTuesday donation to REEF will make double the impact! Thanks to an anonymous donor, all gifts received in honor of GivingTuesday 2024 are being matched dollar for dollar, up to $40,000! We hope you'll make a gift to REEF in honor of GivingTuesday. Keep an eye on your email inbox as GivingTuesday approaches.
Our online programs are free and open to all! Check out what's coming up, and view the entire schedule of Fishinars and other online programs here.
We are excited to share that Michaela Koessler Peterson has joined the REEF team as Director of Education. She is based at the REEF Campus in Key Largo, Florida. Michaela is passionate about connecting people of all backgrounds to science and nature through place-based educational initiatives. Originally from Montana, Michaela earned a BFA at the University of Montana, and then moved to Seattle in 1991, where she fell in love with the ocean and all things marine.
Looking for a fun dive trip in 2025? Kick off your year by joining us in the Maldives on January 12-22 aboard the Empreror Explorer liveboard! Made up of nearly 1,200 islands, the reefs of the Maldives are a haven for wildlife like Whale Sharks, mantas, and more. In February, join us to explore the beautiful dive and snorkel sites of Belize, where our home base will be the charming SunBreeze Hotel on Ambergris Caye. Then in March, we're headed to Villa on Dunbar Rock in Guanaja, Honduras!
REEF Fest is nearly here, and we couldn't be more excited for our annual marine conservation celebration in Key Largo! If you're planning to attend, we look forward to seeing you soon. If you haven't yet registered, you can still make plans to join us Oct 17-20 for ocean presentations, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and fun evening socials. Check out all the details and register for REEF Fest at www.REEF.org/REEFfest.
The votes have been counted, and we're excited to share the 2024 Discover the Sea Photography Contest results! This year's contest had an amazing turnout, with nearly 500 stunning photos submitted and over 4,500 votes cast! First, second, and third place winners were selected via popular vote for each photo category, including Fish Portrait, Macro, Invertebrate, REEF Surveyor, and Habitat/Seascape/Environment. Click here to view all the winning photos.
We are excited to welcome our Fall 2024 Marine Education & Conservation Interns to REEF! They will assist with education, outreach, events, and daily operations around the REEF Campus in Key Largo, Florida. Marine Conservation Interns play an integral role in our daily operations, programs, events, and outreach. Since 1993, more than 150 young adults have interned with REEF and transitioned into careers all over the world, in the marine conservation field and beyond. Please join us in welcoming (from L-R) Natalee, Coryn, Kuba, and John! Here's a bit more about them:
Our October Fish of the Month is the Bat Ray, Myliobatis californica!
Survey Regions: Bat Rays are found throughout the waters of California, as well as north to Oregon and south to the Baja peninsula in Mexico. They have been reported in REEF's PAC (Pacific Coast of US and Canada) survey region. Click here to see a distribution for this species in the REEF database.
We are very excited to welcome two new staff to the REEF Team - Noa Parks as Citizen Science Coordinator (left) and Shelby Thomas as Education Coordinator! Both are based at the REEF Campus in Key Largo, Florida.
REEF staff and collaborators attended the 154th annual American Fisheries Society (AFS) Conference last month, held in Honolulu, Hawaii. REEF's marine life database is a valuable tool for conservation science and research on a global scale, and we were proud to represent our work at this notable conference. Nine sessions at AFS featured REEF data and/or programs.